


Restoration: Ancile

by Atsubushi



Series: PJO/CCS AU main [1]
Category: Cardcaptor Sakura
Genre: Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Camp Jupiter (Percy Jackson), Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, camp jupiter is the twelfth legion for anyone unfamiliar orz, the rating and warning are for some stuff in the future orz, vaguely set in the future of the PJO timeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24574468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atsubushi/pseuds/Atsubushi
Summary: Between the revelations of his godly parentage and the inevitable whirlwind of events following that to get to Camp Jupiter, that really should have been it for Syaoran. It really should have. Unfortunately, dark clouds are stirring on the horizons, and the very existence of Camp Jupiter--and New Rome--was at stake. With the sacred shield of Mars lost, it was up to him and his two quest companions to find it for the sake of the continued existence of the Twelfth Legion as they all knew it.
Series: PJO/CCS AU main [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776223





	1. SYAORAN I

**S** yaoran was getting really tired of running.

More specifically, he was getting tired of running along the faint sense of a “trail” to the Twelfth Legion, dodging monsters who wanted him for dinner and mortals asking questions about why an 11-year-old kid was wandering around near the Berkeley Hills area on his own. While he’d gotten someone to lend him an oversized army jacket and a short ride, the same someone--a legion veteran, apparently--had admitted that there wasn’t much he could do beyond that.

 _Lupa wouldn’t be happy if she heard I was actively helping one of her cubs get to camp_ , he’d said apologetically, a sympathetic wince tossed back at him as Syaoran clambered out of his beat-up Jeep. _Sorry kid. Future legionnaires have to make the journey largely on their own. Just follow your instincts._

Things would probably be much easier, Syaoran reflected gloomily as he crouched behind a tree, if someone would just set up a cab system from the Wolf House to the Caldecott Tunnel. Instead, he was going to have to weigh the risks of charging into noontime Caldecott Tunnel traffic over the fact that he was _so close_ to his destination…

It had been like this for days. Syaoran had long given up on counting the number of days it had been since he’d left the Wolf House to make the long, long journey to Camp Jupiter. Hades, he’d long since given up really _paying attention_ to the days since he’d first been delivered to Lupa’s care by his mother. The talk he’d had with her after dinner seemed so long ago now, almost as if a dream…

Hastily shaking his head, he decided he couldn’t think too much about that. Think too much on that, and he’d get homesick for _ma-ma_ and _ze-ze_ all over again. Best to focus on the present.

Finally rising to his feet, Syaoran slowly made his way down, steadfastly ignoring the traffic in front of him whipping back and forth at unimaginable speeds, careful not to trip on some random rock and thus send himself careening to certain death in all that traffic. While there appeared to be smaller tunnels alongside the main tunnel of Caldecott Tunnel, the biggest--and thus, what Syaoran privately termed as the ‘main tunnel’--closer to him was where something in him pinged as the _destination_. In other words, it was the place that Lupa had told him was to be his new home for the foreseeable future.

 _Do not disappoint me, Xiaolang Li_ , she’d ‘said’, baring her teeth. Despite her usual sternness, Syaoran guessed she must have been more concerned than she let on. _Follow your instincts to the Legion_.

 _Well, I’m here now_ , he thought, finally reaching the bottom of the slope. He was _so_ so close now, with the only things separating him being the nearest lanes of traffic, a Plexiglass fence, and probably a small jump down after clambering over it. At last, he was finally nearing the end of a long journey.

Still, it felt a little too easy. In the span of time--probably days--from finding his way to Wilder Field to finding his way _this_ far, Syaoran only had to dodge a couple of Strixes who were, quite literally, out for his blood. While he wasn’t sure what sort of _scent_ he had, Lupa had noted that his scent would likely be strong enough to attract plenty of monsters should he venture out. And while the other days had felt like he was living up to her observations, this past day or so hadn’t.

Unfortunately, that thought seemed to have jinxed him as soon as it had come to mind.

Familiar screeching sounded overhead, and Syaoran’s heart turned to lead as his gaze snapped up. _Styx_!

Indeed, the striges from before were circling overhead, screeching as they flapped their great dark wings. Luminous golden eyes gazed down at him with malice, and while they didn’t seem like they were going to attack immediately, Syaoran wasn’t going to let them.

 _Okay_ , he thought with a hint of dryness, gripping the hilt of his _gladius_ tightly for a second as he tried to think. _Either a bunch of big birds are gonna disembowel me and have me for lunch, or I--probably--get run over by some businessman running off to_ their _lunch during high traffic hours. No pressure._

Taking a deep breath and pushing away worrisome thoughts about _how_ the striges had found him, he dove into the traffic.

* * *

Over the days he’d had to spend getting to camp, Syaoran had done a lot of stupid, reckless things. He’d jumped off a fire escape to escape a _blemmyae_ , slid off a steep cliff on a silver platter to dodge a Cyclops trying to chop him up for dinner, and pushed and rolled an oil barrel in the direction of a Laistrygonian giant to throw off its fireball aim while he made a break for it. All of which had carried a certain risk for either being eaten or otherwise being killed in some distinctively unheroic fashion, in all likelihood.

But diving into noontime traffic? That was an all-time impulsive move. If he survived this, he was going to have to enter himself into the Guinness World Records.

Cars honked and swerved. Several people shouted obscenities out their window as Syaoran dodged and, at one point, narrowly missed getting splattered by a pickup truck going at high speeds. In other words, it was pandemonium.

By some miracle, the striges had not dived in on him yet--they were probably just as _what the Hades_ about what Syaoran was doing as Syaoran himself was, he thought. Part of him screamed at himself for being a stupid, reckless idiot, risking death by traffic just to dodge a couple of flesh-eating owl monsters. The other part of him that didn’t want to die by disembowelment knew that it was either one messy death or another, and at least the traffic one had a somewhat lower chance of occurring.

The minute Syaoran skidded just before smashing his face into the Plexiglass, he knew that climbing over it was hopeless. The glass fence had to be at least three times taller than himself, and there wasn’t a tall enough foothold anywhere in the structure to climb over. It just stood there, pitiless, as though to bar him away when he was _so close_ …

That is before Syaoran remembered he had a _sword_ with him.

Unsheathing his _gladius_ , Syaoran put all his pent up frustration over the situation into one swing, and with a _crack_ , the portion of Plexiglass in front of him shattered. With a normal weapon, it wouldn’t have been possible. But with a sword of Imperial Gold, a magical metal meant to harm immortals and monsters alike, apparently even the impossible could be possible. Deciding not to think too much about it or what he was about to do next, he sheathed his sword, stepped in between the framing of the now shattered fence, and immediately jumped, tucking and rolling before he landed to a none-too-gentle stop at the bottom.

Narrowly dodging once again from being splattered by a Prius whipping by, Syaoran wiped his sweaty palms on his pants legs, panting a bit as the exhaustion of the whole situation caught up to him. He wasn’t close to collapsing yet, but sitting down seemed like a great idea.

Or at least, if it weren’t for the fact that he could _hear_ the striges getting dangerously close…

Turning instinctively in the direction of the main tunnel and making sure to keep at the side of the traffic, Syaoran sprinted, ignoring his thigh muscles burning as he poured everything he had into outrunning the striges that were diving behind him now. _Come on, come on!_

As he got closer with every agonizing second to the tunnel, the air rippled in front of him. Where once Syaoran saw nothing but a maintenance door on the side of a normal highway tunnel gave way to something else--a large, semicircle-shaped arch with gates sealing it shut. On either side stood two figures, both wearing Roman-style armor of Imperial Gold over purple t-shirts and jeans.

It didn’t take either figure long to notice him barreling towards them. The shorter figure yelled something as they swung around, nocking an arrow to their bow and taking aim at the nearest strix about to dive-bomb him.

“Wait!” Syaoran shouted, though his voice was so hoarse that he couldn’t be sure the shorter figure would even hear him in time. “You can’t kill it! It’s a strix!”

Apparently the figure--guard--heard the last part, because they hesitated, bow slightly lowered.

“It’s a _strix_?” they called. It was hard to tell much about them beneath the armor, but curly black hair peeked out of their helm, and they had light brown eyes. “Styx, that makes these shits harder to deal with! Also, who are you?”

“What do you think?” The taller guard stepped closer, stance tense. As with the shorter figure, it was hard to tell much about him, aside from his distinctively sharp grey eyes. He put a hand on his side, where a golden dagger lay sheathed. “That’s likely a new recruit if he can see us. And I don’t think he’s a monster, either,” he added when his shorter counterpart looked doubtful. “If you don’t believe me, the Little Tiber won’t let him across if he was.”

Something flashed in the shorter guard’s eyes--a myriad of suspicions, then trust. They nodded, then stepped back to unfasten the bolts in the gateway and swing one gate open. “Come on!” they shouted over at Syaoran.

Syaoran was ready to collapse in relief. He was _almost there_ , and the archway was open now! Putting in another burst of speed to avoid the dive-bombing attack of one strix, Syaoran practically launched himself into the tunnel and then through the gateway.

The striges tried to follow, but the taller guard incanted something in Latin and made a couple of odd gestures. Rather than running into the gateway, the monsters instead ran into an invisible wall in front of him and bounced off violently, fluttering around in circles.

The taller guard turned his head, seeing the stunned looks of both Syaoran and the shorter guard, and raised an eyebrow. “Well? Take our new recruit along, Aurel! I’ll follow you after I get these striges out of the tunnel.”

The shorter guard--Aurel--blinked several times, then shook themself out of their daze and grabbed Syaoran by the wrist. “Come on!”

Syaoran stumbled along as they made a break for it down the dark tunnel the archway led into, barely wondering for even a second how the tunnel appeared well-lit without visible light sources. “Is he going to be okay?” he managed in between heavy breaths, forcing himself to keep moving along as they left the sound of screeching striges behind. “I should’ve--”

“He’ll be fine,” Aurel replied, confidence in their voice. “My centurion’s got more than a few tricks up his sleeve to deal with monsters without killing them.”

Which was kind of a relief. Syaoran fervently hoped that meant someone else wasn’t going to be cursed for killing a bunch of striges on his behalf.

It seemed like forever before they emerged out of the other end of the tunnel, the bright light momentarily blinding Syaoran before he regained his bearings. When he did, he gasped.

Across a raging river was a cluster of buildings, blocked by yet another gate. While it was hard to make out details behind those gates due to the distance, he thought he could make out other people milling about, all dressed in the same purple t-shirts as the guards had been wearing. And as though to alleviate any doubts of where he was, the motto that he’d become very familiar with during his time undergoing Lupa’s training-- _Senātus Populusque Rōmānus_ \--was emblazoned on the gates in what also looked like Imperial Gold.

In short, if Syaoran hadn’t been sure before if he’d arrived at the right place despite his instincts, he was _definitely_ sure now. He took a step forward half in wonder. “This is--”

“Yep,” Aurel affirmed, popping the ‘p’ as they started forward as well, no longer tugging him along. Their bow was held loosely at their side, swinging a little with their arms. “This’s Camp Jupiter. Also known as _Twelfth Legion Fulminata_.”

“‘Armed with lightning,’” Syaoran translated offhandedly, vaguely recalling Lupa’s lessons. “God--Gods, I didn’t think I’d _make it_.”

Aurel grinned back at him, a slightly crooked twitch of their lips that made them look a whole lot friendlier than before. “You look pretty damn disbelieving huh, new recruit?”

Syaoran flushed a little, averting his gaze for a moment. “Kind of hard to believe I made it here on instincts alone,” he admitted. “And, uh, my name’s actually _Xiaolang_. You can stop calling me ‘new recruit’ now.”

He braced himself for the moment the shorter guard would laugh and dismiss the name he offered--unfortunately, school had taught him that people _do_ tend to be rather rude when introducing oneself by names or nicknames that didn’t sound at least vaguely European. Instead, when he turned back, Aurel was nodding thoughtfully, mouthing Syaoran’s name--nickname--to themself.

“ _Xiaolang_ ,” they pronounced, roughly close to how it was supposed to be said. “Nice name. And it’s Aurel. I’m a member of the Fifth Cohort, nice to meet ya.” They stopped for a moment and squinted over at the tunnel exit suddenly, brows furrowed, causing Syaoran to stop alongside them. “Huh, Centurion Kaito should be out of there by now. I wonder--”

They were cut off when the taller guard suddenly stumbled through the tunnel exit. His helm looked slightly beat up and there were a handful of scratches around his upper arms, but he otherwise looked no different from how Syaoran met him.

For some reason, Syaoran felt like his cheeks were suddenly warming up again at the sight.

Straightening up, the taller guard--Kaito?--jogged over to them. “There you are. Why haven’t you crossed the Little Tiber with our new recruit, Aurel?” he asked, stopping just ahead of them with his brows furrowed.

“Thought I should wait for you?” Aurel offered back, looking slightly sheepish. “Sorry, centurion. I just kinda got caught up chatting a bit.”

Kaito sighed. “I guess it’s not doing any harm, so there’s no point in reprimanding,” he muttered to himself. Then he turned to Syaoran, a small smile curving his lips. “The striges should be gone now--I managed to repel them out of the tunnel, and they’ve flown off who knows where. I’d like to hope they’re not performing ominous reconnaissance, but--” He shrugged and gently took Syaoran’s hand, heedless of the jolt the younger boy gave at the sudden gesture. “Let’s get you across the Little Tiber now. I’m sure you need someplace to relax first and foremost after we get some things cleared up.”

Somehow, Syaoran had forgotten about how bone-weary he was until the centurion had brought that up. It was like all of his exhaustion was creeping in at once. “Y-Yeah,” he managed, relaxing a bit as he accepted the gesture. “That’d beat running from striges.”


	2. SYAORAN II

**T** hey made it across the Little Tiber without much incident.

For the most part, it was thanks to Aurel. Being a legacy of Volturnus gave them some control over river water, enough to harden a portion of the Little Tiber’s surface that they could run across. Syaoran only just kept his jaw from dropping at the sight.

Aurel had taken notice of his awe and chuckled as they stepped out onto the hardened surface. “Thanks. That’s like the only thing I can do though, so don’t expect me to be busting out a child of Neptune's moves on the fly.”

“Every little bit helps,” Kaito replied lightly as they started to cross the river. “And don’t put yourself down for what you can’t do again. You’ve done this all too often lately.”

“Aye aye, centurion.”

By the time they reached the opposing shore, activity had shifted on the other side of the gates.

The purple-shirted campers--legionnaires?--that Syaoran had glimpsed milling about on the other side had started to take notice of their arrival. Even as the gates swung open in welcome and Kaito and Aurel guided him in, it was hard to shake the feeling that he was being watched, assessed by the other legionnaires.

This was only confirmed by the mutterings he overheard.

“Oh, a new recruit?”

“Gods, he better not be a wimp. No place for that in New Rome.”

“Wonder how he’ll perform in the War Games. He’s already got a sword, he better know how to use it.”

Syaoran’s discontent with the muttered assessments must’ve been obvious because Kaito nudged him lightly. “Don’t mind them,” he said quietly. “A lot of people around here do that to new arrivals. They’ll stop judging you as soon as they know you better, I promise.”

Syaoran wasn’t sure if Kaito could live up to that promise in full, but he reluctantly nodded back. “That’s some comfort, I guess,” he mumbled.

Kaito just smiled back, before turning to Aurel. “Aurel, you know the drill. I’ll take him to the praetors, you go back and continue your guard duties. The next guards should rotate in about three minutes, so you won’t have to stand for much longer there.”

Aurel frowned. They’d removed their helm, letting a mass of dark curls spill out over their shoulders. “With all due respect, centurion, shouldn’t I come too?”

“You’re still a _probatio_ ,” Kaito replied patiently. “And it should be a quick meeting. It’ll pass in the blink of an eye.” His expression shifted in wry humor. “It’s a boring meeting anyway, you know that. I’m sure you won’t be missing much.”

Aurel’s frown only eased slightly, but they nodded, fiddling with a tablet on a cord that Syaoran hadn’t noticed was around their neck till now. “Okay,” they finally replied, before turning to march off back to the gates.

Kaito sighed again. Syaoran glanced questioningly at him, but he only smiled and shook his head in response. “Never mind that. For now, we should get you to the praetors. Last I heard they should be at the _Principia_.”

* * *

It felt as though they’d passed by a great number of barracks until they reached the _Principia_ , as Kaito had said. 

“Normally,” the centurion admitted, “even centurions aren’t allowed to be within the parameters of the _Principia_ without permission from the praetors.” He’d also taken off his helm, revealing short dark hair that had undergone a mild case of helmet hair. “But according to the praetors as of late, special circumstances necessitate a change in rules.” He glanced back at Syaoran, tilting his head slightly. “Whatever you do, though, avoid lying.”

“Lying?” Syaoran probably would’ve focused more on the ‘special circumstances’ part, but the lying bit confused him more. “Why that specifically?”

“Praetor Seyer is a legacy of Veritas, goddess of truth,” Kaito explained. “She....doesn’t take well to those who lie about themselves.”

“Oh.” Syaoran wasn’t sure if that made him more on edge or at ease. He could do honesty, at least. “Guess I can do that.”

“Then you should be fine. Seyer and Lin are quite more lenient than most of the camp realize.”

Syaoran wasn’t sure what to make of _that_ statement, but by then they had already reached the front steps of the white marble building that was the _Principia_. The doorway was framed by a columned portico, with a purple banner flying from the roof bearing the motto of the camp.

_It looks like a fancy bank_ , Syaoran thought. Probably an irreverent thought, but at least he kept it to himself.

Guards in full armor flanked the doorway nearby, but at a few quick words from Kaito, they stepped aside to let him and Syaoran through. He tried to ignore the stares the guards were regarding him with as the centurion took to the front steps and raised a hand to knock on the front doors. “Praetors, I’ve brought a new recruit,” he called.

There was a long moment of silence, before someone from inside replied, “Well, centurion? Bring them in.”

Kaito glanced back at Syaoran, eyebrows raised. “Ready?”

Syaoran didn’t _feel_ ready, to be honest. He was tired, a little achy, and wanted to finally relax. Nonetheless, aware that he would have to go through this meeting with the praetors first, he nodded, squaring his shoulders. “I’m ready.”

And with that, the doors swung open.

* * *

The _Principia_ looked a lot larger on the inside than the outside, though perhaps it was the decor that gave that impression. The ceiling gleamed with a mosaic depiction of Romulus and Remus being nursed by Lupa (a depiction that Syaoran found a little unnerving, considering not long ago the same she-wolf had been mentoring _him_ ), and the walls were draped in rich velvet. The floor, by contrast, was of polished white marble. Along the back walls displayed a lot of important-looking banners and poles.

It wasn’t long before Syaoran’s eyes were drawn to the center of the room. Across a large table that was a clutter of various items and a large bowl of Jelly Babies, two figures sat in matching high-backed chairs. One of the figures was a young woman in her late teens, with light brown hair styled in a braided bun and blue-gray eyes. The other figure to her right was a young man her approximate age, with dark hair in a buzzcut and amber eyes.

Judging by their positions, he figured they were the praetors.

Syaoran shifted awkwardly as the two praetors looked up. The young man regarded him with a serious once-over, before nodding. “The new recruit?”

“Yes, Praetor Lin,” Kaito replied from behind him. He’d moved back not long after Syaoran had entered the building, though only a few steps or so behind.

The other praetor--Seyer, perhaps?--leaned forward, training a stare on Syaoran instead. “What’s your name, recruit?” she inquired.

Syaoran glanced back at the centurion, who simply nodded in encouragement, before he turned back. “Uh…” It was tempting to just give his nickname, but this wasn’t like with Aurel. “Honglang. Honglang Li.”

Due to his position, he completely missed Kaito’s blink of surprise as he awkwardly added, “But um, just call me Xiaolang."

“Alright. Do you know who your godly parent or ancestor is?”

Syaoran shook his head. “My mom said it’s my dad, but I don’t know who he is.”

“I see.” Seyer leaned back slightly. It was easy to mistake that as her relaxing, though somehow Syaoran didn’t think so. “Well, Lin and I--we’d also like to hear about your journey here from the Wolf House, as well.” Unexpectedly, she smiled a little at Syaoran’s confusion, as did Lin with a more amused edge directed at her. “Normally we wouldn’t be asking new recruits about that sort of thing--I understand it’s often something most of us would like to leave behind. But special circumstances have demanded otherwise.”

“Special circumstances…” It took Syaoran a moment, but he vaguely recalled Kaito mentioning this earlier when he was leading him to the _Principia_. “What’s going on here?”

“We’ll explain a little afterward,” Lin promised, leaning forward slightly. His expression had gone back to being more serious. “But first, if you don’t mind...please tell us about your journey from the Wolf House.”

Sensing he wasn’t going to get an answer at this time, Syaoran complied. He wasn’t the best storyteller by any means--Xiefa used to tease him about how cut-and-dry his stories were--but he managed to convey most of it without much trouble, all the way down to when the striges had chased him to Caldecott Tunnel.

At the mention of the striges, Lin and Seyer exchanged an undecipherable look.

“Flying monsters seem to be a pretty common theme in most of our recent stories,” Seyer murmured, with only a touch of humor.

“No kidding.” Lin ran a hand over his head, brows furrowed.

“Common theme?”

“You’re not the only one with a similar story of being attacked by flying monsters--usually striges--in recent recruit stories,” Lin explained, running a finger along the length of the table not occupied by clutter. “Frankly, it could just be a big coincidence. Maybe demigods are striges’ new favorite meal or something. But with Auris’s visions--”

“--and the fact that legacies are often attacked as well,” Seyer finished, “we’ve been a little cautious about it.” She sighed. “I’m afraid I can’t say much more about it than that until we’ve consulted our advisors, but we can give you at least this much.”

Syaoran wanted to ask about the advisors or even more details, despite Seyer’s words. However, a gentle, unexpected touch at the elbow seemed to signal to him otherwise, so instead, he reluctantly nodded in acquiescence. 

After another long, exchanged look between the praetors, Seyer stood up. “With all that said, I expect you’ve been rather tired out from the journey,” she told him, before glancing behind him. “Centurion, show our new recruit around and help him freshen up first. I expect he’ll need the reprieve before he meets up with our augur.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter up, wahoooo--hoping it looks good so far!  
> Some additional notes:  
> Making his canon name (Xiaolang/Siulong) a nickname and giving him a different full name (Honglang/Hungloung(? not sure about the Cantonese pronunciation tbh)) was definitely part of a personal nitpick with Syaoran's canon name asdjf, but hopefully it's nbd to anyone who reads this ^^; (And again, using Mandarin pronunciation for Syaoran's name(s) because I'm not 100% on the Cantonese pronunciation (though he would definitely be using it even in this AU), so feel free to give feedback on that as well as anything else! I'm happy to correct anything as needed.)


	3. SYAORAN III

**A** fter the long, puzzling conversation with the praetors and all those days spent on the journey to camp, Syaoran was far too ready for the bath and change of clothes that came afterward.

(However unwilling he was to part from his jacket and sword, at least. Or the curiosities over the _Principia_ conversation.)

“We’ll get you fitted for armor before the War Games tonight,” Kaito told him matter-of-factly, carding a free hand idly through his hair as they made their way from the _Principia_ to the bathhouse. “And weapons as well, naturally. Though--” And here, his gaze dropped down to the sword that had remained strapped and sheathed to Syaoran’s waist. “--The fact that you already have the standard-issue _gladius_ checks off one item on the checklist of equipment you’ll need.”

Syaoran’s hand instinctively strayed to the _gladius’s_ hilt at the last bit, mostly out of surprise. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Oh.” Syaoran hadn’t even considered that. All he knew about the sword was it was constructed out of Imperial Gold, was originally from his father, and the fact that it was a _gladius_. His mother hadn’t exactly given any information about whether it met Camp Jupiter standards, though he supposed it made sense that it did. “I guess that’s good?”

An amused smile curved at Kaito’s lips, making the purple flecks in his eyes pop out. “Yes, you could say that.” 

At that point, they’d arrived at the bathhouse. Striding up to the door, Kaito rapped gently on it and spoke in low tones with someone behind the door in Latin, before turning back to Syaoran. “An attendant will be waiting inside to help you through the process.”

Syaoran frowned. “What about you?”

“I’ll be waiting outside,” the centurion replied, raising his eyebrows. He must’ve sensed Syaoran’s apprehension because his smile appeared more reassuring this time. “You’ll be able to keep any belongings you wish even after a change of clothes, so don’t worry about that. In fact…” He tilted his head slightly. “It’d be best for you to wholeheartedly enjoy this while you can. Roman baths here are one-of-a-kind, I assure you.”

At the assurance, Syaoran’s shoulders slumped a bit in relief. “I guess. I haven’t had a good bath in a while,” he admitted, a longing tinge in his tone of voice as he craned his neck to peer through the crack between the doors. He absentmindedly tugged at one of the sleeves of his army jacket as he stepped closer to the doors. “Thanks.”

And with that, he squared his shoulders and reached to push open the doors of the bathhouse.

-

It seemed to take only a few moments (with the attendant’s help) before Syaoran was undressed and able to sink into a cold bath in the _frigidarium_ of the bathhouse. Once there, he could feel himself fully relaxing for the first time in a while, emitting a small sigh of bliss as he sank into the pleasantly cool depths.

It was also a nice moment to just take everything in for the first time, as well.

So much had happened as of late that it was hard for him to keep track of everything. His mother’s revelations after dinner and gifting him with the _gladius_ he carried on him felt like it was years ago, even though it had only been a couple of months. And then there was Lupa’s conditioning and lessons, drilling the basics in his head before he was to set off for camp…

And the striges, he supposed. At the time, he hadn’t even considered there was anything particularly concerning beyond _oh Styx monsters chasing after me but I can’t Kill Them_ , but now...the praetors’ reactions to him telling them about the whole thing made him wonder.

Part of him considered the notion that the commonality of flying monsters was just a coincidence, and may have just been striges being especially attracted to demigod blood as of recent or something. Syaoran knew very little about striges beyond the basics, so he couldn’t exactly rule that out.

But the other part of him knew that the praetors would probably not have concerned themselves over it if there wasn’t something underlying that trend--which got him wondering what was it that they might have left out in the summary given to him.

Sighing heavily this time at the thought, Syaoran leaned back and shut his eyes. “ _Aiyah_ …” _If only things stopped being complicated now that I’m at camp…_

It was only sometime later when an attendant alerted him and helped him into his new change of clothes. Syaoran was a little apprehensive about parting with a lot of his clothing items, but it was rather refreshing to have both the practicality of his new, clean camp clothes layered underneath the familiarity of the somewhat battered army jacket. Strapping his _gladius_ onto his new belt, he made his way out of the changing room and the bathhouse.

Kaito had been leaning against the wall near the bathhouse entrance, but when Syaoran stepped out, he straightened up and shifted his grip on his helm. “I see you’re finished. How was it?” he inquired curiously.

Syaoran tried for a smile, hoping it covered up the remnants of what he’d been brooding over earlier. “It was great! ‘One-of-a-kind’ definitely is a way to put it.”

Kaito smiled wryly. “That’s good to hear. Because you’ll need to hang on to that when we meet the augur.”

Syaoran’s smile faded into a frown. “Is the augur that bad?”

“He’s...difficult.” The centurion had started to pick up the pace as he strode in the direction of Temple Hill, so Syaoran had to adjust his pace to catch up. “That’s the best way I can put it.”

That didn’t make him feel any better, but Syaoran bit his tongue before his mouth got the better of him.

A brief silence fell between them as they made their way past the Praetorian Gates and onto the road to Temple Hill, which let Syaoran’s mind wander a little. In an attempt to set aside his ruminating from earlier, he finally ventured awkwardly, “Um, can I ask you something?”

Kaito glanced back, an eyebrow raised. “Yes?”

“What’s your godly parent? Or...ancestor, I guess?”

Syaoran wanted to kick himself for his rudeness after he blurted it out, but his curiosity was crawling ahead of his tact at the moment. It didn’t help that while he did get a view of the SPQR tattoo on Kaito’s inner forearm, the name of the deity represented by the twin torches on it was eluding him.

Thankfully, the other looked thoughtful rather than offended. “Trivia,” he finally answered. “Goddess of magic, crossroads, and the Mist, among other things.” An amused smile curved at his lips. “Honestly, I could stand here all day and list my mother’s domains, but that would be a bit much, I think.”

Syaoran perked up a little. “That sounds cool. You can do magic? _Real_ magic?”

Kaito chuckled. “At least you’re not asking me if I can do card tricks,” he murmured. “But with a bit of practice, yes. That’s what the exchange program with Camp Half-Blood helps with.”

“The Greek camp?”

“Yeah. Didn’t Lupa tell you about them?”

Shrugging, the younger boy admitted, “Not much. Just the bare basics.”

Kaito hummed. “Well, they’re the camp for demigods born of the gods’ Greek aspect. We used to conflict with each other up until half a century ago, but nowadays we’re allies more than we’re enemies.” He shifted his grip on his helm as they continued on the road en route to Temple Hill. “I don’t see the big deal behind our past rivalry really, though there’s still quite a bit of bloody history behind us that we need to work through. But the Hecate campers there allot some opportunities for magic practice--”

He was cut off when one of the stragglers on the road suddenly took notice and waddled up to them-- _a faun_? Syaoran thought, based on the goat legs the man had. “Kaito! My buddy boy, do you have any denarii to spare for a bus ride?” he called, jingling the cap of denarii in front of him.

“Quince.” Kaito’s tone was strained, but he somehow managed a smile in response. “No, I don’t. Also, you don’t even ride buses.”

“Aww, man.” The faun--Quince--looked a little down before his gaze brightened upon noticing Syaoran standing just behind the centurion. “Lemme guess--new recruit?”

Syaoran wasn’t sure what to do in response, so he just waved awkwardly. “Hi?”

“Yes, that’s a new recruit.” The smile became a tad more strained as Kaito made to step around Quince. “We were off to Temple Hill to see the augur, so if you’ll excuse us, Quince. We can chat at another time.”

Quince sighed as they passed by, then laughed--a sound that resembled bleating more than anything. “Man, if that’s what you want I guess! See you and the newbie around!”

Once they were out of hearing range, Syaoran had to ask, “Was that--Quince--a faun?”

The centurion was still walking briskly along, but he spared a nod in response. “Yeah. A lot of them tend to straggle around the roads looking for change, but most of them also make good back alley doctors in a pinch.”

The second part should’ve sounded like a compliment, but Kaito didn’t seem particularly thrilled about seeing Quince, despite his offer.

“Oh,” Syaoran managed, instead of blurting any of that out.

His face must’ve looked more concerned than he meant it to be, because Kaito turned and took his hand, expression reassuring. “Don’t worry about them too much. Most fauns won’t bother you if you’re polite enough. Besides--” And here, he glanced over his shoulder for emphasis. “We’re almost at Temple Hill, in any case. Are you ready?”

Syaoran swallowed, acutely aware of the feeling of the other’s hand over his. Unbidden, the earlier comments about Auris the augur came to mind, casting doubts within himself. However, he suspected he’d have to be ready for whatever the augur was going to do regardless.

“I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter up, and the last of Syaoran's viewpoint chapters for the time being at that!  
> Admittedly still a little apprehensive about how well I wrote this so far despite having run this through a grammar check and read it over by myself, so I'd welcome any feedback really! <3  
> Since I'm following a chapter format/order based on the HoO books and am deciding on three viewpoint chapters at a time for the three perspectives I've planned to include (one for each quest member), the next three will be from Kaito's. Hopefully that'll go well since I'm still unsure about his "voice" and haven't finished that first of his three viewpoint chapters haha.  
> Thanks for reading!


	4. KAITO I

**I** f Kaito had a choice, he wouldn’t have chosen to bring any new recruits to the augur Auris.

But as it was, he didn’t.

Hence, why he was leading Syaoran to the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.

As they made their way up to Temple Hill, it was hard not to notice the younger boy glancing around with wide eyes, apparently amazed by the sight of the monuments dedicated to each deity. It wasn’t hard to fathom why, he supposed--the temples and shrines weren’t just dedicated to the gods favored by the Romans, but also deities that weren’t as revered. Standing side by side with unique designs that emphasized each god’s greatness, it was no wonder why any new recruit would be in awe.

At one point, on their way to Jupiter’s temple, Syaoran had paused in front of one particular monument--a red marble crypt with doors of cast iron, a massive statue of Mars surrounded by a display wall of skulls and weapons, and eleven shields arranged in the shape of the letter M. If Kaito had to be honest, the temple didn’t catch his eye beyond recognizing the importance of the war god to New Rome, but for some reason, Syaoran was strangely mesmerized by it.

“Is that…” Syaoran trailed off.

“The temple of Mars Ultor?” Kaito finished, arching his brows at the peculiar reaction. “Yeah.”

Syaoran nodded, still staring at the temple. The strangely rapt attention paid to this particular temple on Temple Hill did make Kaito wonder about the new recruit’s godly parentage, though he didn’t ruminate too long on it. It was merely a hunch based on a coincidence, after all--and a new recruit paying particular attention to Mars’s temple wasn’t so strange when considering the god’s importance.

“Mars Ultor…” the younger boy murmured, with a strange mixture of reverence and...familiarity? Then, “Sounds like the god of all things big, red, and angry.”

A surprised laugh slipped out before Kaito managed to clamp it down. Of all the comments to come after _that_ , the near-irreverence of it was not what he expected of the seemingly respectful kid. “I...guess that’s about right,” he managed with a slight twitch of his lips. “Big, red, and angry. Though, I wouldn’t say that to Lord Mars’s face.”

Syaoran looked embarrassed as he fidgeted with a button on his jacket. “Y...Yeah, I guess. It just kinda slipped out.”

“No harm done,” Kaito replied, offhandedly shrugging with an amused smile. “You’re not wrong, either--this temple _would_ certainly give such an impression.”

“Yeah.” Syaoran still had his eyes fixed on the temple, a sense of longing evident somewhere in his eyes. Kaito wasn’t sure if he was even consciously aware of it, though. “We’re not going in here though, are we?”

Almost as if on cue, lightning flashed overhead at another temple close by--one that looked bigger and more ornate, with a round pavilion surrounded by white columns supporting a gilded dome.

“No,” Kaito finally replied, gaze flickering over at the other temple in question. Gods of Rome, for once he _wished_ they were though. “Auris should be done with whatever he’s doing, so we’ll be going over there instead.”

* * *

Kaito didn’t find a lot of things particularly nerve-wracking--something that tended to worry his fellow centurion Hernan a bit, but that was beside the point--but the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus consistently proved to be an exception. Maybe it was just the reputation of the god of the skies, but it always felt as though every time he walked in, he was acutely aware that every molecule of his body would be zapped to nothingness if he so much as puts a toe out of line. Such was Jupiter’s reputation, he supposed.

As they headed up the steps of the temple, lightning flashed overhead--this time across the ceiling. The flash highlighted the statue of Jupiter that stood in the center of the temple well, from his stern features to the master bolt gripped in one hand. If nothing else, Kaito could concede that this made for an intimidating sight.

This was comparatively impressive when contrasted with the individual standing on the dais at the base of the statue, though. A lean boy with short dark hair in typical camp attire and a toga, Auris didn’t particularly cut a striking figure to people who first met him. That tended to change pretty quickly once they _did_ get to know the augur, though.

Though he disliked the thought of getting Auris’s attention at all, Kaito knew his responsibility at the moment far outweighed his personal feelings, so he cleared his throat just as the augur lowered his arms, stilling the lightning around. “Auris.”

Auris turned. His eyes, a pale and somewhat unsettling blue, darted first to Kaito, then to Syaoran next to him.

“That’s the latest recruit, hm?” the augur mused, grinning. “How interesting.”

He stepped down from the dais and made his way over, which allotted a better look at his figure. Neither the cream-colored toga that wrapped loosely around his figure nor the hilt of a dagger underneath gave many the impression of someone who was particularly respected. Nevertheless, there was always the trace of a harsh glint in the augur’s eyes that set Kaito on edge.

He wasn’t sure if Syaoran noticed it, being new and all, but the younger boy did noticeably stiffen as the augur stopped only a few paces away. “Um, hi? I’m--”

“Yes, yes, Honglang Li,” the augur cut across him, waving a hand carelessly. “Undetermined, I assume?”

“...Yeah.” Syaoran shuffled awkwardly under Auris’s scrutiny. “I think.”

Auris stared at him for a few moments longer in silence, before letting out a huff that might’ve been a laugh. Not a particularly friendly one, at that. “Well, I hope you’ll be of some use, _Honglang_. The birds have given little on your future contributions, even in a time when we need a strong and united front.”

“ _Xiaolang_ ,” Syaoran corrected. Kaito didn’t need to look over at the younger boy to notice the slight bristling at being called by his full name. He wasn’t sure why, but it was a sentiment he sympathized with. “And what d’you mean by a united front?”

“Have the praetors not informed you?” Auris replied, raising an eyebrow without acknowledging the correction. “Forces are stirring. New recruits are being attacked more than ever. And I’ve had some, ah, quite troubling visions about the fate of New Rome.” His eyes swept over to Kaito in a deceptively casual way, but the glint gave away the underlying meaning of his next words, “With suspicious activity mounting as is, I find it quite imperative to assert the... _integrity_ of all legionnaires, even new arrivals.”

Kaito’s jaw tensed. Even though Auris hadn’t said it outright, the way the augur looked at him still dredged up memories of _that_ conversation from weeks ago. He wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing the implication got to him, though. “Cut the flowery words, Auris,” he said tightly. “What do the _gods_ decree about Xiaolang’s entrance into the legion?”

Syaoran glanced over with a surprised look, not expecting the tone he used, but Auris remained unfazed. The augur merely studied Syaoran for a moment again, before nodding. “The birds have told me that the gods have spoken,” he replied, still languidly. “By their decree, he shall be accepted into the legion.”

Syaoran looked both surprised and relieved, while Kaito felt his shoulders slump in relief himself. “Thank you,” he told the augur, already turning to leave with the younger boy. “Now, if that’s all--”

“Not so fast, Kaito,” Auris interrupted him, his grin plastered on his face in a manner that was not particularly friendly. “While you’re here for once, might I remind you--”

“You may _not_ ,” Kaito snapped. He wasn’t going to stand for hearing Auris’s schemes, not now. “Xiaolang has more things to do before tonight, Auris.”

The augur raised his hands in seeming innocence, though the son of Trivia wasn’t fooled. “I was merely reminding you of our conversation from two weeks ago, _Centurion_ Kaito. But perhaps you have forgotten the terms as well. It would be most unfortunate if your, ah, _secret_ got out in camp after all. Perhaps it would even get your centurion privilege revoked in such unfortunate times, integrity valued as highly as it is.”

Gods of Rome, sometimes Kaito wished he knew _how_ Auris was finding out this sort of blackmail material so he could shut that route down for good. Unfortunately, the augur was very good at covering his information-gathering tracks, however he did it. Probably pulling the strings of connection he had at New Rome if he had to guess.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he thought he saw Syaoran move his hand toward the hilt of his sword, eyes narrowing as though he sensed the tension behind what had just gone down. As tempting as it was for Kaito to see what Auris would be like at the other end of an 11-year-old’s blade, however, he had to be the bigger person here.

Taking a breath, Kaito nodded. “Whatever you say,” he replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as the other was acting. He pointedly turned away. “Come on, Xiaolang. We’re leaving.”

* * *

The journey down from Temple Hill was partly shrouded in tense silence.

It was hard _not_ to leave a conversation with Auris without feeling at least somewhat frustrated. Every conversation felt to him like they had a subtle jab at his integrity or his capability to lead as a centurion somewhere. And with the augur dangling the blackmail of his _secret_ getting out to camp--a secret that _still_ haunted him to some extent, even--it had only become more obvious that the prick had it out for him. Probably because of his parentage or some equally inane reason, at that, no matter what bullshit he spouted otherwise.

“I _hate_ that guy,” he muttered without thinking, after a few moments of swearing under his breath in a multitude of languages. “If there was ever someone I didn’t want to know…”

“Um.” Syaoran looked uncomfortable as he fidgeted idly at his army jacket’s buttons. “What was going on back there with you and...Auris?”

That snapped him out of his reverie. Straightening up and trying to act as though Auris’s words didn’t bother him, Kaito replied, “Nothing to worry about. Auris being a prick is not new, sadly.”

Syaoran knit his brows. “Wasn’t he blackmailing you? That’s what’s up, isn’t it?”

Clearly, the younger boy knew a lot more about things like blackmailing than he’d thought. “It’s nothing to worry about, really.” Kaito tried for a smile of reassurance, though he was pretty sure it was doing the exact opposite of reassuring him. “Come on. Let’s go get you fitted for armor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy, it's been a while (I've been a lil busy) but this is the next chapter! (The first one from Kaito's perspective, no less lol.) Feel free to leave kudos or a review to let me know how I'm doing btw!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!! So this is the start of one of my non-snippet fics for my PJO/CCS AUverse. Hopefully everything makes sense so far, though I imagine it probably makes less sense if you aren't familiar with RRverse orz.  
> Also small clarification: In regards to Syaoran's name (or...nickname in this fic), I'd actually think he would use the Cantonese pronunciation (iirc it's more Lee Siulong?), but due to not being as familiar with it I've been using the Mandarin pronunciation. That being said, I did try to use Cantonese pronunciation elsewhere; I'm just not 100% on his name.  
> I hope this's enjoyable nonetheless!


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